The Year of the Little Guy? Can Mizuno Make a Dent with the 2019 ST190 Driver?

While no technology or performance information has been shared yet, Mizuno is continuing what is becoming a bit of a long, slow tease of its upcoming 2019 ST190 and ST190G drivers. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing.

Mizuno hasn’t ever – at least not in recent memory – been a powerhouse in the driver category. If you’re ranking by dollar share, it sits a comfortable 9th, though its perhaps worth a mention that its average selling prices are considerably higher than some of the brands listed ahead of it. That’s good for its bottom line, but if it wants to be seen as a serious player in the category, like other challenger brands, Mizuno has plenty of work to do.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that 2019 has the potential to be the year of the little guy – and that means Mizuno has a shot to increase market share. Now, I haven’t lost my mind (at least not completely). I’m not saying that by June Mizuno and Wilson will be battling for the title of the #1 Driver in Golf (TaylorMade owns that Trademark), but there is at least the potential for smaller brands to get some play on tour, build some excitement, and maybe even find their way into more of your golf bags.

With Nike now long gone and TaylorMade cutting back, Tour players are exploring their options. By now most of you realize that all four Majors in 2018 were won by players without equipment deals. The bag demographics, even within the driver category, are changing.

Small case in point, Callaway won the driver count at last week’s Mayakoba Classic while PING did the same at the PGA Tour Champions Charles Schwab Cup. And while those aren’t exactly textbook examples of smaller brands shocking the world, it does suggest that TaylorMade’s death grip on the weekly driver count is sliding, and other brands (maybe even small brands) could start finding their way into tour player bags at a higher rate than at any time since pay to play became the reality. That kind of thing usually trickles down to the consumer.

GIVEAWAY: Win a Shot Scope V2 prize package

Shot Scope Golf

Enter MyGolfSpy’s Giveaway!

What does that mean for Mizuno? It means there’s a sliver of light shining through a door that was previously bolted shut. There are no gimmes here, however. Three brands (TaylorMade, Callaway, and PING) currently account for more than 80% of the drivers sold at retail. Add Titleist and Cobra and it we’re at 90%. 5 brands, 90% of the market. It’s not like we anticipate much of a sway in that top 90%, so that leaves Mizuno and everybody else fighting for the lion’s share of the last 10%.

Can Wilson, Srixon (Cleveland), Tour Edge, or Mizuno emerge from that pack?

Wilson has Driver vs. Driver buzz, Tour Edge has taken ownership of the $300 price point, Srixon is building a following, and Mizuno, for the first time I can remember, looks to have a pair of drivers with appeal that extends beyond the Mizuno loyalist. Given whispers of a push on Mizuno’s part, it could be the one that makes the biggest inroads on tour (admittedly we’re not starting much above zero). There’s at least an outside chance that a name you know will put a Mizuno ST180 driver in the bag. If that happens, it just might increase Mizuno’s retail fortunes.

Who Rises to the Top?

The competition will be stiff.

The Srixon 85 series hit the market last month. The Tour Edge Exotics EXS and Wilson Cortex just launched, and the Mizuno GT190 shouldn’t be too far behind.

How likely are you to give any of them a shot at making it into your bag? Does any one of them stand out as a must try?

Tony Covey

Tony is the Editor of MyGolfSpy where his job is to bring fresh and innovative content to the site.
In addition to his editorial responsibilities, he was instrumental in developing MyGolfSpy's data-driven testing methodologies and continues to sift through our data to find the insights that can help improve your game.
Tony believes that golfers deserve to know what's real and what's not, and that means MyGolfSpy's equipment coverage must extend beyond the so-called facts as dictated by the same companies that created them.
Most of all Tony believes in performance over hype and #PowerToThePlayer.

Matt Miles

6 months ago

Having hit the driver the other day with just the standard atmos tour spec I can garuntee you the hype is justified. Was 20 yards past my gamer and I’d been fitted professionally for that.

Really nice feel off the face, I’ve hit a few of the other offerings from cobra srixon & Callaway and I have to say if Taylormade don’t produce some decent product this year I have a feeling that Srixon and Mizuno will take some of their share. The Callaway driver is also really good but is £100 more than the Srixon and Mizuno.

The St190G is a lot better than the St190 in my opinion and worth the extra money

James Williams

6 months ago

Looks exactly like the current ST180, but they have finally got the hint that most people do not want a blue driver and ripped off the Rogue look for top.

St180 is a great driver so this will be too, but I doubt these drivers are any better than last years model and if they are, its so minor its not even worth considering if you already have a good deal.

David W

6 months ago

I had a chance to hit the new ST190. I currently play the ST180. My spin rate decreased from 3400 to 2350. I was very happy to see that. Very difficult to get any kind of roll out here in Florida. Love the black color for sure. Otherwise, the feel and sound were nearly identical. I believe the sweet spot has increased dramatically as well. I owned a Rogue for a very short period of time. Just felt too clunky. I also hit the new Cally Epic! Look for these to give everyone a run this coming year. Don’t count out Honma Beres Driver either. I can honestly say it is the longest and straightest driver I’ve hit to date. Spin rate was 2200! Very impressed!

Booney3721

BudS

6 months ago

I play Wilson D200’s can you steer me in direction of where i can get a decent trade up deal so i can continue to support the little guy.Went to golf show in Cincinnati and the Wilson Rep didn’t seem interested in making any kind of deal.Clubs are getting to expensive without some trade-in help cant afford to change clubs.My wallet can’t keep up with new technology.

Lynyrd

6 months ago

So if Cally, TM, and Ping make up 80 % of the Driver market, what is that percentage breakdown? Is it by volume of sales or pieces sold?
I like many who have said buy equipment that is a gear or two older in order to take advantage of Markdowns. That said, no one offers larger incentives, especially on the secondary market than the Big three. Not to mention continued innovation, I would think this makes a cycle that’s hard to change.

Chuck

6 months ago

I was introduced to track man early on, I wanted one brand, he looked at the numbers and my swing. He put a driver in my hands I said I would never play again. I was lucky there were two to choose from, same distance, just one I was straighter with. Yes the brand I would not put in play. I put into play what works for me regardless of the manufacturer. I get the best of both worlds, the looks I like and best performance for me.

Johnnythunders

6 months ago

Been long time Mizuno iron fan playing their irons since the Mp-60 and when the jpx 900 range came out I had a full bag but over the course of the years I started going for more forgiving clubs, first the driver was switched out to a Callaway Fusion, then epic, then back to fusion, then rogue then back to fusion. The hybrids were replaced with rogue x, Tried the st189 regular and high launch, still fusion. Got a ping g400 max as backup. Irons were switched out to cobra f7 one length. The fairway woods are the best, tried rogue, epic, cobra, nothing better for me. Bag is set for 2019 but I’ll try the St190, cobra f9 and epic flash but that’s about it. Can’t stand titleist, taylormade, Wilson, exotics and Srixon. Love the Mizuno black but wish they would bring back Fuji evo speeder real deal shafts, but atmos is cool.

Doug

6 months ago

Johnny, the simple and easy will probably be to find a used JPX 900 and swap out shafts. The driver adapter has been standardized since the JPX 850, and at this point, a lot of the used 900s are going for practically the cost of the shaft.

Brad

6 months ago

I honestly love every offering each of those companies are bringing to the table. If I didnt just bag an old 16′ M2, they’d be on the short list. I tend to play stuff that’s a few years old because I simply cant afford a new big stick at those prices. But seeing as I jumped from a ping i15 to an M2, lessons would be the better bet. (Maybe I’ll get new irons haha they are from 09 as well)

Dc

6 months ago

I’m ALL for the “little guys” coming up and stomping the competition. Especially if it’s in terms of performance. I’m way more interested in getting a Srixon or Mizuno in my bag for all of my clubs. But there should still be the precedence of getting adequately fitted, if your best fit is a TaylorMade – get it. If it’s the Mizuno – that’s a double win in my book. But consumers should stop buying for the sake of prestige or on the opposite side “to be different”. Get fit – lower your scores. Any change MGS will be offering full scale fittings in house? I’d love to make an excuse to go to VA for that.

David

6 months ago

I tried the Tour Edge EXS after seeing it on Revolution Golf. After playing around with the adjustments and flipping the weights, I literally picked up 20+ yards and sacrificed no reduction in consistency. Extremely hot face. Now selling my old PXG driver on eBay.

Brian Pickton

The bottom looks like the triumph of form over function – just looks busy to the point of being over done. Do all of the small centre sections actually have a function beyond being stylish?

I would give it a test as I do with clubs every year, but it would take a marked improvement over my 2016 M2 before the Mizuno could pry it out of my hands. At this juncture I am more interested in fine tuning through exploring shaft options rather than taking a more blunt instrument approach by starting with a whole new driver.

Steve

6 months ago

I think Mizuno makes great golf equipment but I don’t buy the “little guy” tag. They have the financial resources to own every bag on tour but don’t choose to do business that way. Their total sales last year were 185 times that of Callaway. The golf equipment business is just not that important to them as a company.

In terms of market share – which is the metric we used in this case – Mizuno most definitely qualifies as the little guys. Other than the Iron category, Mizuno is sub 5% share across the board. Driver share, which is what we’re talking about here, is significantly less than that.

George P.

6 months ago

I totally agree with what you’re saying, Tony. For myself, after mainly bagging Callaway (Epic SZ) and PING (G400 LST) the last 2 years, I was so excited about the reviews on the Srixon Z785, I had to try it out for myself. And Wow! Loved it so much I placed an order. That Handcrafted HZRDUS Black shaft is money with that head. Which, I feel, is another point that needs to be mentioned. The OEM’s including “real deal” premium aftermarket shafts really adds to the performance of the drivers. Now I’m deciding which drivers to sell because I have too many. But I agree, the “little guys” are getting better and deserve a bigger piece of the proverbial pie. In my opinion, Srixon’s Z785 is proof why.

Steve

6 months ago

By that metric I agree 100%. When I saw the headline my mind went immediately to companies like Evnroll that don’t have the resources to go up against the marketing budgets of Odyssey or Titleist. Keep up the brand agnostic work! If anyone else is doing it I can’t find them.

Freddy

6 months ago

I have played Titleist ap2 irons in different modells for long, but made the switch från ap2 718 to srixon z 785 irons this year. Both great clubs. But the feel of z 785 was a touch better. I think ”the little guys” will grow especially usage among low caps, but mostly clubs like putters, wedge and irons.

mackdaddy

I’m giving consideration to Mizuno, Srixon and Wilson for my next driver purchase. I’ve been a Taylormade, Ping, Cobra and Adams owner in the past. I believe the little guys are making great strides in performance compared to the BIG 3. Thanks to MGS for the great reports on all things golf equipment!!!

Kevin

6 months ago

As a tester for the ST-180 last year, I would say anybody looking for a new driver should try the 190. It improves on last years model which did a lot of things well. The 180 sat a bit closed for me, but would be great for anybody who fights a slice.

Mark

6 months ago

I’m probably not going to give up my TM M1 any time soon, but I am a bit intrigued by the new Wilson Cortex & Cobra drivers.
If some of the Wilson tour staff switch over I’ll definitely give the Cortex a look.
Mizuno, I don’t know – have to be some huge buzz to go there.
As always, I’ll rely on MGS to let me know about these things! Good job as always!

Brad

T_foss65

6 months ago

I fully admit to being a Wilson fanboy… and I really want the Cortex to succeed… but at 5 bills ain’t no way I’m giving up my G400 max… I’m playing Mizuno MP-63’s, (until I can find a set of FG Tour 100’s) which are a better club than I am a golfer and I love them. Can’t see dropping 9-1200 on new… I’m with the used guys here. Wedges are another story! Got brand new RTX-3 CB’s recently and they’re staying in the bag!! Love seeing the variety and the possibilities…

Steve Saunders

6 months ago

I may be in the minority here, but the price of new golf clubs are hard for me to justify; therefore I buy used equipment. I keep information on the club reviews so that in time when the prices become reasonable for me I know what I should buy. This process works for me.

Christopher

Regarding ANY really expensive “gear ” unless the would be purchaser is ALREADY REALLY on top of their game , I can’t really see how product purchases will make better gains rather than using the same amount of money on good coaching . In the UK a new top make driver will set you back OVER £400. You can get a lot of coaching for that sort of money , and if you don’t improve after that , well will buying a new driver do the job ? Doubt it .

Doug

6 months ago

I’m always watching out for what Mizuno does. I invested a couple of years ago in upgrading to JPX 900 forged irons (which I feel like were made for me) and I play the JPX 900 driver. I recognize it isn’t the longest, most publicly precious driver on the market, but I found way better tuning of the head to me w/ an older Fubuki Z vs the stock Speeder, and it gets me into the 275-300 yd range where I want to be.

I didn’t find any remarkable improvement for me in the ST/GT180s, but I’m interested in seeing how that new composite crown changes things. I’m one of the few Mizuno electric blue fans that is sad to see the matte blue crown go away, and it may be one of the reasons I’ll hold on to my current driver for a long time!

I think the opportunity for “the other guys” to open up market share lies in finding the right blend of quality and price. I’ve spent a lot of time commenting on this for months now… there has absolutely been cost escalation in the equipment market, no matter what the justification is, that is putting off the casual golfer from the game, and these are the guys that need to be interested if they want to maintain or even grow the sport. Your mid-level and higher caliber player is in it for keeps at this point, so we’ll grumble about prices, but continue to find ways to update and play, but when it’s starting to cost $2,000 to get mass market-edge irons and a driver before I’ve filled (or bought) the bag or bought a dozen balls, that’s a hard sell for someone who may never return to a course after a few tries.

Randall Pennington

Max

6 months ago

For Mizuno, I just cannot wrap my head around the strategy of the slow tease and then release the EXACT same time as Taylormade, Callaway, PING and Cobra. The ST-190 drivers look amazing. Get them in people’s hands now if you want to grab market share. Create a buzz, get validation of performance on online forums, get them out on youtube reviews, etc. Plenty of people play golf year round and plenty of people to indoor testing over the winter. Srixon got it right with the release date, money back promo and no upcharge for exotic shafts for the first two weeks of sale. So many people bought that driver that otherwise wouldn’t have. I understand I may be missing some clever strategy or mis-understanding of the market, but to me their release date is bad timing. (Also, I just want to buy one now and not wait.)

Doug

6 months ago

Max,

I’m kind of with you on that. Mizuno, to my knowledge, has not obligated themselves to playing the same game as everyone else until the last few years, where they’ve gone to clockwork annual releases and do seem to be trying to push their way into the line with the big dogs. Their equipment prices have been climbing seemingly to match the market, and if that’s the motivation behind the pricing, I think it’s a terrible mistake.

I think their differences, like Wilson, Srixon/Cleveland, etc., are what make them appealing to the rest of the market and make them desirable, and that falling into “conformity” on price and release dates fades their stand-out quality.

I suspect there is some magic in holding and building hype, but I think if I’m trying to grab some spot light, I’d release my clubs somewhere 2-3 months before or after the main market, and give people less eye candy at that time.

Max

6 months ago

Thank you. I am 100% ready to buy this driver right now. I play golf year round. There is no offseason where I live. If it performs, I will sing it’s high praises to the moon on golfwrx and to anyone that listens (who, by the way are the only audience that would be receptive to switching to a Mizuno driver). I will literally grow your market share myself significantly. If you make me wait until February when PING, Taylormade, Callaway and Cobra release their new drivers, a Mizuno driver will be last on my list, guaranteed. And I am a HUGE Mizuno fanboy going all the way back to my T-Zoid Pro’s from 1999. Just release it already. You have 3 months ahead of your competition right now, what are you waiting for?

Greg

Har in the Hat

6 months ago

Another great article Tony. Thanks. Enjoy the read. As a Mizuno fan who loves and plays the MP irons, it’ll be nice to see some excitement from the other end of the spectrum from Mizuno. But as a lefty, this is where Mizuno needs to show love.

THOMAS

Kris

6 months ago

I had been looking for a new driver for 3 years. On a GC2 I could never find anything that would beat my old Nike driver. Then I hit the st 180. Blew it away. Spin killer for me. And after using for a few months, even bad hits were going farther than my old driver. Good hits easily 10% longer. No, I gps’d it. Old average was 245. New one about 270. And when in fairway, I got at least 8 drives over 300, with no baked fairways either. Give it a shot.

Paul

6 months ago

I tried the ST180 for a bit this summer and found it to be a really good driver. Even at Club Champion, when I hit it against other drivers, it was giving me numbers that were showing to be ideal according to TrackMan. There was only one problem: those numbers only can from a very small area on the face. Distance drop-off was significant if I didn’t hit the ball dead-center, so it didn’t last long.
If all Mizuno did was increase efficiency acrosss the face, this driver will be a good one! Let’s hope that’s what turns out to be true here!

Nick Richardson

6 months ago

The new Srixons look awesome and this new Mizuno line looks just as good. I have been put off by the Mizuno Blue in the past, black looks alot better IMO, will definitely give them a try and the would have to wait for a sale to give the Srixons a try as they are asking top dollar for the new line. Will be hard pressed to push the F8+ out of my bag, but I’m willing to give them a go.

The Tour Edge Exotics EXS is the one I would like to try as I like their style and commitment to keeping it real with that $300 mark plus their drivers in the past have been pretty solid in all departments. If I had to add another $200 to the price of a driver I must have much better distance, accuracy etc etc………….. well lets put it this way…… it ain’t been made yet and I doubt it ever will.

Berniez40

6 months ago

All three have a shot at my bag this year.

1.] I have been a card carrying Mizuno Fan Boy in the past when I played both their Irons and their Driver. The Mizuno Drivers I bagged weren’t the longest, but they always felt A-Mazing, and workability was a gimmee. If they could replicate that feel, and workability, and keep me within single digits of the Cally or TaylorMade distance monster that comes out which will neither feel as good nor be as workable, I could easily bag another Zuno.

2.] I used to carry Wilson Staff Irons and play their ball as well. I’ve had 2 sets of Wilson Staff Irons since the Wilson Staff Moniker made a comeback. They were both wonderful sets of irons. If the Cortex could feel as good as the Zuno, and also be as workable, then Wilson Staff might make a re-appearance in my bag.

3.] I currently bag 3 Tour Edge Hybrids and have played many of their Fairways and Hybrids in the past. I loved the XCG Series. But–as with Wilson Staff I’ve never bagged a Tour Edge Driver. If the EXS, which bears more than just a cursory resemblance to The Zuno 180, can replicate that Zuno Feel and Workability, and keep me within single digits of the big boys–at $299—-It’s a freakin’ layup. -Especially since I contacted the company and they reassured me that the CK RED was a free upgrade on this $299 Driver. That is currently my shaft, and it has certainly rejuvenated my old 2016 M2 Driver, which is still the best product Taylormade has put out in years. The 2nd Gen M1 and M2 weren’t really upgrades, and the M3 and M4 Suck.

4.} Srixon/Cleveland could easily find a way into my bag. I currently game Srixon Z-355 Irons, and, until now, no iron has ever lasted more than 3 seasons in my bag. If they have a driver that feels as good, shoots as reliably, and feels wonderful at a reasonablte price point, I could easily put another Srixon Club into my bag.

Performance breeds loyalty. and all four of these brands have performed remarkably well for me in the past.

McaseyM

6 months ago

The Cleveland Launcher HB (thanks MGS and SCX) recently took over the place of my Cobra Fly Z+ in the driver slot of my bag and though I am not pursuing new equipment in 2019, i am greatly looking forward to giving each of these go. I do like to swing the smaller brands more than the bigger brands, having previously gamed Cobra drivers from 2012-2018, a Tour Edge 4 wood, both Cobra and Wilson hybrids and Mizuno GI irons.
Happy to see the “little guys” making some in-roads

Pip

6 months ago

Been playing the st180 driver, 3&5W for 6 months give or take and love them. The driver tends to a little slice bias IMO but setting in the upright position made all the difference in the world. First driver I hit high majority on center face.

Lot is peeps don’t like the blue, I do but the new black opinion should pull some of them in. Great shaft options and lots of loft adjustability. Worth you time to look and swing a few with them if your
In the market

Jimmy

6 months ago

It just looks like an ST180 painted black.

Let’s be honest, the best drivers out today are pretty much at the best they can be now without a serious change in ruling from the USGA, and whatever argument you have for saying they are not at the absolute max in terms of MOI or COR etc, its close enough where any advancements would only be detectable by a robot or the perfect golfer.

if you can’t hit a decent driver in 2018 with the drivers we have out today, the thing you need is a lesson.